THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

Passage: Luke 4:1-13

Key verse: 4:4

NIV

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,(B) left the Jordan(C) and was led by the Spirit(D) into the wilderness, 2 where for forty days(E) he was tempted[a] by the devil.(F) He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,(G) tell this stone to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’[b]”(H)

5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.(I) 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me,(J) and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’[c]”(K)

9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[d]”(L)

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[e]”(M)

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting,(N) he left him(O) until an opportune time.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Luke 4:2 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
  2. Luke 4:4 Deut. 8:3
  3. Luke 4:8 Deut. 6:13
  4. Luke 4:11 Psalm 91:11,12
  5. Luke 4:12 Deut. 6:16
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Temptation of Jesus

4 (A)And Jesus, (B)full of the Holy Spirit, (C)returned from the Jordan and was led (D)by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for (E)forty days, (F)being tempted by the devil. (G)And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, (H)he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are (I)the Son of God, command (J)this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, (K)“It is written, (L)‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 (M)And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you (N)I will give all this authority and their glory, (O)for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, (P)“It is written,

(Q)“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
    and (R)him only shall you serve.’”

9 (S)And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are (T)the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

(U)“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to guard you,’

11 and

(V)“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, (W)‘You shall not (X)put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him (Y)until an opportune time.

Read full chapter
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, Jesus is tempted to solve his bread problem (1-4). Why did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the desert? As the second Adam, Jesus had to defeat the devil before beginning his ministry. The first temptation was on a physical level. Jesus was so hungry; the round desert rocks must have looked like small loaves of bread. But Jesus did not compromise. He said, 'It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' Jesus did not follow the devil's suggestion to solve his bread problem first; rather, he lived by the Word of God. We must live by God's words as a matter of life and death. Second, Jesus is tempted with human glory and riches (5-8). Next, the devil tempted Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world on the condition that he bow down and worship the devil, just once. Jesus would not compromise; he again quoted Scripture. Man was made to worship God alone. Third, Jesus is tempted to take the easy way (9-13). This time the devil also used Scripture to tempt Jesus to throw himself down from the temple so that the angels would rescue him for all to see. It was a temptation to take an easier way. Jesus refused because this would be testing God's promise rather than trusting God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise you for defeating the devil's temptation. Help me to live by your word.

One Word: Live by God's word